Taking Back Your Home
Tread Lightly
As a parent, you may be ecstatic about taking down the life-size poster of Kate Upton that hangs in your teenage son’s bedroom, but Los Angeles-based organizing expert Tori Springer of Simply Simplify discourages parents from moving too fast. “If your child is having trouble adjusting to the idea of leaving home, you may want to wait until at least after the holidays, at which point he will have settled into his new life,” says Springer. “Leaving home is emotional and so is clearing clutter. Be careful not to rush your kids out the door.”
MORE: College Prep: Packing
Pack Lightly
When the time is right to pack up treasured keepsakes, take care to protect them from leaks and floods. “There are cardboard boxes that come with archival paper, which I like to use for school diplomas, achievement certificates, sport team photos, badges, etc.,” says Springer. “We then place them in water-tight bins and of course … label away!” Tallahassee, Fla., decorator Laura Burleson is partial to the Tupperware containers that can be stowed discreetly under beds. “I use one per school year and label them with my child’s grade, teacher, etc., to archive that year,” says Burleson, who notes this can also be done retroactively.
On Display
Once your child is gone, find a nice way to display his favorite items and surprise her on her first visit home. Create a gallery wall with framed art and photographs or even hang shelves for meaningful trophies. “An old pair of ballet shoes with a picture of your child dancing will display beautifully in a mounted shadow box,” says Snyder. If your child was a star athlete, Burleson suggests having a quilt made out of his team jerseys. “There are even methods of preserving prom corsages and graduation leis in airtight, Lucite boxes,” says Springer.
Out of Sight
Once you have dealt with your child’s belongings, look around and see which items are no longer necessary. Perhaps the command center style bulletin board or white board in the kitchen can be taken down or relocated to a less prominent place. “Once the kids leave the nest, if it's still necessary for the parents to keep a calendar, find some place unnoticeable to stay informed,” recommends Snyder. “A white board displayed on the inside of a pantry door helps everyone stay on schedule, and doesn't ruin beautiful design,” she says. Likewise, the video games, controllers and related cords can get packed away.
Baby Steps
If you worry your child won’t feel at home over the holidays should you change your home too much, wait to do any major remodeling until he’s been gone a full year. In the meantime, Springer suggests treating yourself to “a nice set of everyday dishware, reupholstered dining chairs, fresh curtains, a larger television or a wine fridge.” Even having the carpets professionally cleaned will give your home a boost, she says. “And buying yourself a few grown-up items allows you to reward yourself for sending a productive member of society off into the world.”
Lighten Up
Many parents steer clear of white sofas or chairs when they have young children or rowdy teenagers at home. While Snyder feels that there are plenty of companies who make easy-to-clean fabrics these days (so there’s no need to wait), she says if you have waited, now’s the time. Embrace light-colored carpets, tile floors, furniture and paint colors. Accessories can be replaced, too. “Upgrade all of the fabrics, rugs, bedding and pillows—anything you'd have worried about with sweaty gym socks on them,” says Burleson. “The wait is over!”
